The frequently inane ramblings of one who isn't always right, but is never actually wrong, either. Topics included might be political, theological, gastronomical, sexual, or even motorcycle-related. All I can guarantee is that ... on second thought, if you want a guarantee, go buy a bloody toaster, and leave me alone!

About Me

Monday, July 18, 2016

I watched a couple of on-air interviews yesterday, with George
Stephanopolous interviewing Donald Trump and his campaign manager, and
Leslie Stahl, interviewing Trump with his running mate, Pence. When
Trump's campaign manager told George that "Hillary created ISIS," George
started to challenge the accusation, to which the surrogate said, "I'm
not going to go down that road with you." And the subject was dropped.
And when Stahl tried to press on one of Trump's many accusations of
Hillary, he merely talked over her, and she allowed the subject to be
changed.

I worry as much about the decline of real journalism as I
do about the rise of bullies who would lie, threaten, bully, and
frighten their way into public office, because journalists who are brave
enough to demand truth are our single best weapon against tyrants.

I
worry that younger generations have never seen the likes of a Walter
Cronkite, or seen a reminder of what freedom of the press
is supposed to stand for. I wish we had someone like Edward R. Murrow,
who dared stand up to Joseph McCarthy - my generation's Trump - and
expose him for what he truly was. As Murrow said:

“It is
necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between
investigating and persecuting is a very fine one, and the junior senator
from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly. His primary achievement
has been in confusing the public mind, as between the internal and the
external threats of Communism. We must not confuse dissent with
disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and
that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will
not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an
age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and
remember that we are not descended from fearful men — not from men who
feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were,
for the moment, unpopular.”

Next time you're asked to sign a
petition, consider instead starting or signing one that will *not* fall
on deaf ears, directed to those media owners and executives who control what will be covered, said, and accepted as truth. Because the harsh truth is that your viewership means infinitely more to media
bigwigs than your vote means to elected officials. And that desperately needs to be reversed.

Copyright 2007-2010 by Ron Kaye.
All rights reserved. Except for material used in accordance with fair use guidelines, this blog may not be reproduced in any form, by any technological means, without the express written consent of Ron Kaye.